On the 76th anniversary of VE Day, an Island housebuilder is showing its support for Armed Forces Veterans by putting ‘Tommy’ figures in the front gardens of its show homes across the region.
The country is today (Saturday) celebrating Victory in Europe Day and Barratt Homes is installing commemorative figures at its developments in support of the Tommy Club, RBLI’s veterans’ support community.
Launched in 2020, the Tommy Club is a supporters’ club created to raise money for the Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI) charity as it provides the best possible care for the country’s deserving veterans. As a strong supporter of the country’s armed forces and attracting over 70 veterans into the business through the Armed Forces Transition Programme, Barratt Homes has become RBLI’s first corporate patron.
The Transition Programme used at Barratt and David Wilson Homes accounted for 90% of all trainees recruited in the last 18 months – including former service member, Daniel Hunneysett. After being in the Royal Marines for 13 years, Daniel applied for his current role as trainee assistant site manager using the Programme. He said:
“It’s given me a fantastic opportunity to develop a career after leaving the Marines and is a really important way to connect those leaving the armed forces with work on the outside.”
Barratt Homes Community Liaison Manager, Anthony Dimmick, formerly a Corporal of the 17 Port and Maritime Regiment based in Marchwood and awarded a commendation for his services during the Falklands War, said:
“The Transition Programme gives priority to military personnel looking to leave the forces in the last 12 months of their career. As a former member of the forces, I know how difficult it can be to transition from the world of the military into every day life, so the work Barratt do to encourage people back into the world of work is extremely commendable.”
Barratt Homes’ latest initiative to support the RBLI has seen them donate £100,000 to the charity and has bought 300 ‘Tommy’ figures to display in the gardens of show homes at developments across Hampshire, Dorset, West Sussex and the Isle of Wight. These are designed to represent British soldiers returning from World War Two, and a symbol of all Armed Forces personnel, past and present.
Tommy represents where RBLI began in 1919, supporting British soldiers returning from WWI. The story goes that German soldiers would call out to “Tommy” across no man’s land if they wanted to speak to a British soldier. Since then, RBLI has supported many wounded, injured and sick ex-Forces personnel.
Where on the Isle of Wight is this memorial ?
No idea, I haven’t seen it.
Find the show home, it’s not a memorial, just a figure in the garden as the article states !!